US drops out of world’s 10 most powerful passports list for first time in 20 years

In 2014, the US passport held the top position, but this has declined over the years, and the latest ranking marks its lowest position since the index was launched 20 years ago.

Henley and Partners, a firm specialising in residence and citizenship planning, attributed the declining strength of the US passport to the lack of reciprocity, noting that while the American passport can access 180 destinations visa-free, only 46 other nationalities can enter the US without a visa.

This puts the US 77th in the Henley Openness Index, which ranks all 199 countries and territories worldwide according to the number of nationalities they permit entry to without needing a visa.

“The declining strength of the US passport over the past decade is more than just a reshuffle in rankings – it signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics,” said Henley & Partners chairman Christian Kaelin and creator of the index, which utilises data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

“Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind.”